Battered storm teddy bear found in Cornwall lovingly restored
Lost Lego at Sea/ Eleanor AshtonA teddy bear's head found washed up on a beach following storms has been transformed into a cuddly toy after a year of work.
The bear's battered face washed up on Porth beach near Newquay, Cornwall, after storms in January 2022.
After seeing a photo on Twitter, Eleanor Ashton, a vicar from Wiltshire, got in touch and asked if she could attempt to restore him.
Sinbad is now complete, and is being used as a therapy bear.
The remains of Sinbad were found on a beach by beachcomber Tracey Williams.
Eleanor AshtonShe said: "After the winter storms of last January, masses of seaweed washed ashore and it was full of plastic. So a group of us spent days and weeks and months picking it up.
"It was his nose we noticed first - it was actually sticking out of the kelp.
"It was only when I pulled his nose out I realised it was attached to a teddy bear's head."
Ms Ashton had never restored a teddy bear before but when she saw the photo, felt compelled to get in touch.
Eleanor Ashton"He just looked so sad, but also so hopeful. It was just the head of a bear but he seemed alive," she said.
It was posted in a cardboard envelope and "absolutely stank" she said, filled with sand and seaweed.
Her son, Bill, 13, named the bear Sinbad after Sinbad the Sailor, because of the adventure he had been on.
Ms Ashton, who is rector of Shrewton near Salisbury, said: "I was careful not to over restore him - so he still has the same eyes and nose, and his ears are still a bit bare."
Eleanor AshtonTalking of his new life as a therapy bear she said: "People just want to give him a cuddle.
"I have taken him to the local care home and he is comforting, and very cuddly. He will accompany me on various visits".
"The fact that he was battered and wounded but could still have a life and a future - it's a story we all understand and relate to."
She and her son now plan to visit Cornwall in half-term, and to take Sinbad along for the trip.
Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].